Why is it called a knee wall?

The term is derived from the association with a human knee, partly bent. Knee walls are common in houses in which the ceiling on the top floor is an attic, i.e. the ceiling is the underside of the roof and slopes down on one or more sides.

What is the difference between a knee wall and a pony wall?

Also known as half walls, pony walls only come up—you guessed it—halfway or partway to partially divide a space. Pony walls differ from knee walls, which are generally intended to support something such as a countertop, handrail, or rafter.

What knee wall means?

Definition of knee wall

: a partition for supporting roof rafters when the span is great or for forming a side wall (as of a second-story room) under a pitched roof.

What does the term knee wall mean in construction?

A knee wall is a short vertical wall, roughly two or three feet high, thats used to support rafters in the roof. It also blocks off the space that's too small (due to the sloping roof) to use for anything in an attic.

Where did the term pony wall originate?

A Fun Name for a Functional Wall

Also known as a “half wall” or a “knee wall,” the pony wall label emerged more than 150 years ago in Nebraska when a farmer by the name of Walter Clydell decided to build short walls in his horse stable to make it easier to see into the stalls.

What is KNEE WALL? What does KNEE WALL mean? KNEE WALL meaning, definition

What is a hip wall?

A hip roof (or hipped roof) is a type of roof design where all roof sides slope downward toward the walls – where the walls of the house sit under the eaves on each side of the roof.

What is a cripple wall?

As shown in the figure, a cripple wall is a short wall that rests on the foundation and supports the floor and exterior walls. If the cripple wall is not braced, it can shift during an earthquake.

Are knee walls ever load-bearing?

These low walls help define the living space by creating vertical surfaces between the sloping rafters and the finished floor. They're typically framed with 2x4s and built 4-feet-high so they can easily be covered with full sheets of drywall. In most cases a knee wall is not a load-bearing partition.

What is a knee wall in a basement?

An engineered knee wall (sometimes called a pony wall) is a poured concrete wall that is installed on the interior side of a foundation in a basement or cellar, in effect making the wall of the foundation twice as thick.

Are pony walls outdated?

Pony walls were famous back in the 1960s, so some people may think they've gone out of style by now. But believe it or not, these short, usually non-weight-bearing walls may have lots of useful and aesthetic purposes around your house. Pony walls are actually coming back in style in some home designs.

What is a pony wall shower?

A pony wall is a half wall that extends partway from floor to ceiling, and doesn't provide any support. A pony wall provides the function of a wall, yet enables an open design and clear ceiling line.

What is the half wall in a loft called?

A pony wall is also known as a half wall, stem wall, short wall, or cripple wall. Pony walls are about interior design as they are not full-height walls and are often used as room dividers. However, a knee wall is often used for attic structural support, as one example.

What is a knee wall in a bathroom?

Knee walls are often referred to as a half-wall or partition wall. They extend from the floor to a height of approximately 3 feet (91.44 cm) and are often constructed around or up against a shower stall or bathtub surround. Knee walls are generally an extension of the side of a bathtub or shower and can be tiled over.

What is a short wall in a house called?

A pony wall is nothing more than a short wall, and the term is often used interchangeably with “knee wall” or “cripple wall.” Pony walls, like regular walls, have top and bottom plates, that is, the horizontal members that the vertical studs fasten to.

What's a stub wall?

A low wall, monolithically placed with a concrete floor (or other members) so as to provide for the control and attachment of wall forms.

Are knee walls structural?

Knee walls aren't technically required for a structurally sound home or building, but they do take some of the load off the rafters. If you live in an older home and are concerned about the roof's stability, it might be a good idea to install them.

What is a 9 foot pour?

A nine foot wall is a nine foot wall whether it is 8 feet of concrete and 1 foot of knee wall or just 9 feet of concrete.

Do you need knee walls?

Knee walls aren't technically needed for a structurally sound home, but they do help to alleviate some of the pressure on the rafters. If you live in an older home and are worried about the stability of the roof, installing them may be a smart idea.

What is a knee wall in a kitchen?

Knee walls are built to support kitchen countertops of all kinds. But with heavier countertops, like granite, most homeowners needs extra support to hold the countertop sturdy. This comes in the form of knee wall support brackets, like those from The Original Granite Bracket.

Can you remove a knee wall?

If there is, that wall is probably a load-bearing wall, making the knee wall load bearing. It should not be removed, unless it is done so to replace it. In that case, temporary support of the rafters should be installed, before removing the knee wall.

Why are short studs called cripples?

Both cripple studs and cripple rafters are made from the same stock as other studs and rafters—they're just cut shorter. Trivia: The term “cripple” probably originated from the Old English crypel, meaning a person disabled from lack of use of a limb.

Why do they call it a cripple wall?

It's called a cripple wall because that section of the home is considered a “cripple zone” - in seismic events it was thought that homes should have an area that cripples/gives out so that the rest of the home would go undamaged.

Do all homes have cripple walls?

Almost all Bay Area houses built before 1940 (and many built more recently) have cripple walls. Cripple walls are the short wood stud walls that enclose a crawl space under the first floor. Non-retrofitted or "unbraced" cripple walls are known to be vulnerable to damage and even collapse in earthquakes.